It felt right
by berryban
Summary: He loved her, and she wasn't sure if she loved him. After an assignment to an S-ranked mission, Ino rethinks Shikamaru's place in her heart. ShikaIno One-shot.


**I halt the making of Forever and Ever to present to you... A SHIKAINO STORY! Yeah, just read it. XD**

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"I can't Ino." Shikamaru grunted with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Please Shikamaru!" Ino pleaded with those big blue eyes of hers. Her long platinum blonde hair waved in the breeze of the wind outside of the Konoha Gates.

"I can't cancel this mission." He explained to her as he stared into her eyes.

"Why do you _need_ to go on an S-ranked mission anyway? You might get _killed_! Ugh! Why does Naruto send you on this? Why can't someone else go?"

"I'm the only one qualified apparently. Troublesome."

"Then, can I go with you?" Ino asked him frowning.

"No. You could get hurt." He simply said.

"Then all I can do is wait?" She said more than asked with a sad face.

"I guess. Bye Ino." Shikamaru said walking past her. Ino felt very disappointed and angry. Her best friend was going to leave for an S-ranked mission, and she might not get to ever see him again. Nothing would be the same without his lazy attitude and laid-back self. Their close relationship was like brother and sister, and if he had died, she'd be missing a big part of her. She would never _ever_ want him to leave forever. She loved him too much.

Ino had been feeling very confused with herself for the past few months, not sure whether she loved him more than a brother. Her brain told her '_This is Nara Shikamaru, the lazy bum!' _while her heart told her, '_This is Shikamaru…_' It had certainly been a war in herself. So Ino did the only thing she _could_ do before saying bye.

"Shikamaru!" She said aloud making the Nara boy turn. She ran up to him and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his body, holding herself close in his arms. Shikamaru was a little surprised, but not too much knowing Ino. His arms lazily circled around her thin body, giving her a little comfort. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to." Shikamaru said with his chin on her head. She hugged him tighter pressing her cheek against his chest.

"But I don't want you to…" Ino said softly.

"I'm sorry Ino." Shikamaru apologized before letting go of the sad blonde. Her blue orbs pierced his brown ones making it hurt for him to leave. He really wished this mission would be successful. He didn't want to risk leaving everyone behind. It would affect Team 10 even more. After Asuma had died, it was like a train with no conductor for Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji. But somehow they managed, but just barely. And Kurenai was also very depressed. Her baby boy was fatherless, but Shikamaru was like a father figure to him. And if _he_ was gone, then it would be a tragedy for that boy. He didn't want this to be the last time he'd ever see Konoha, and he _especially _didn't want it to be the last time he'd ever see those sky blue eyes and long blonde locks.

"Bye Ino." Shikamaru said pulling her into a short embrace before departing. Ino did the only thing left to do, and that was watch him go. Watch him leave, or watch him never come back. It hurt her to see him go. It seemed like hours for his body to turn into a dark silhouette, even though it had only been about ten minutes. If the only thing she could possibly do was wait, then she'd wait for him.

Shikamaru was always an importand person to her. He'd always protect her in situations, and had made sure she was safe. Even if she _was_ a troublesome woman, she was still his best friend, and he'd put his life on the line for _any_ of his comrades, especially for her.

Though a lot of ninjas came back alive from S-ranked missions, Ino still couldn't help but worry about Shikamaru. He could still get hurt and _could_ still _die_, and she didn't want that to happen. The missions were usually so difficult that even one little mistake could mess up the whole mission. But Ino didn't worry much about him messing up the mission. Shikamaru would have about six backup plans in case the others failed. '_But I can't help it…'_ she thought pensively with her lips pressed in a tight line.

She walked back to her home now realizing how dark it actually was. Ino pushed in the key and opened the door. She plopped herself down on her couch and laid down on its soft cushions, resting her head on the armrest of the sofa relaxing. This day would start a lot of worry for herself. Possibly for the next few days or maybe even weeks and hopefully not months. '_Shikamaru won't die—he's too smart and-and he's strong too!'_ Ino's thoughts told her failing to erase the worry from her system.

If he had died it would be like the time her father was assigned to an S-ranked mission. Assulted and killed. It would start a whole new feeling of emptiness and pain, and Ino wouldn't have wished that feeling upon anyone. She even questioned her reason for existing after it, but decided that it was pointless to even think like that. It was her father's time to go, and Ino didn't want it to be.

He didn't even get the feeling of being a grandfather, or get to grow old. If affected Ino very hard. Even when leaving her by herself for a few minutes, she'd be found crying, and Shikamaru helped her overcome her depression and to accept his death. Her home was a big reminder of Inoichi and it hurt her to even stare at his room so Shikamaru suggested that Ino should move out and so, she lived with him for a few months. And the source of Ino's inner war had started that first night she stayed at his house.

~Flashback~

_Ino tossed and turned under the covers with tears in her eyes. She couldn't sleep, so she crept out of the door and tiptoed to Shikamaru's room, and he was laid on his very large bed with his hands under his head staring at the ceiling. His head turned and his eyes fixed on her melted glacier eyes. "Ino?"_

"_I can't sleep… can I, sleep in here?" Ino asked like a plea. Her tears rolled down her cheks which made it impossible to say no to. "Please?"_

"_Okay." Shikamaru agreed moving over to give Ino room to lay down. He was on the right by the edge of the bed. She slid in under the cover to the left to the middle of his big mattress. He faced her, lying down._

"_Why did he have to go?" She asked with sad eyes and a heavy heart._

"_I don't know… it was his time to go Ino." He answered her with a quiet voice._

"_But why did it have to be _now_?" Ino said sniffling and rubbing her nose. _

"_I… I don't know." Shikamaru never really knew how to comfort someone with words, so he grabbed trhe blonde and pulled her into a hug. He didn't like it when she cried. "Don't cry anymore."_

"_I-I'll try." She said crying into his chest. She held onto him tighter, still crying. "Sh-Shikamaru?" She slowly drifted to sleep._

"_Hm?" The Nara boy responded. _

"_Thank you…" Ino told him softly before falling asleep in Shikamaru's arms. All Shikamaru could think was '_Troublesome woman…'

~End of flashback~

And when she had woken up that next morning, she was still in Shikamaru's arms, and he was asleep. She didn't want to wake him, so she just laid there, cuddled up to the lazy Nara. After she moved out of Shikamaru's house, she _was_ still a little sad, but not as much as before. And the only thing Ino was left with were her friends. She didn't have family anymore. Her mother had died when she was a baby, and she was raised by her father alone. But due to him being an interrogator, he wasn't always home, so she had to take care of herself as well. Her friends were her family; Shikamaru and Chouji were her brothers and Sakura was her sister. Asuma was like her second father, and for a while now, she was fatherless.

When they were younger, she and Chouji would go over to Shikamaru's house and play or do whatever Asuma had told them to do. Yoshino was always kind to Ino, and for a while, she had thought of her as a motherly figure despite Shikamaru's view on her as always being strict and mean. She'd do what a mother would do, like cook for her, and of course, she'd also cook for Chouji sa well. Ino was never really close to any older women, so she was a motherly figure nonetheless. It would be a shame to see her go too. During this time, she had realized how much she appreciated her friends, and realized she loved them all a lot.

~2 weeks later~

Every day for the past two weeks, Ino would wait by the Konoha Gates, expecting the pineapple headed man to come walking by with his hands in his pockets and an irritated expression. But for two weeks, she was disappointed when she didn't see him. Ino would be with Sakura too. Apparently she still waited for Sasuke, even though everyone, even Naruto, had given up on the avenger. She still had hope and she still loved him as a friend, not romantically. But Sakura wouldn't be there for long, she'd be following Naruto to somewhere secluded to carry their matters else where. Ino went and sat next to her pink-haired friend. "Sakura, why are you still waiting for him?"

Sakura was silent first, then answered quietly, "I don't know. It just feels right."

"Why? So if and when that bastard comes back, he can step all over you again? Come on, he's _not_ worth it!" Ino told her.

"I don't love him like that! I love him like how you love Shikamaru or Chouji! You're not the only one who's moved on you know!" Sakura answered her with a serious look in her green orbs. "Anyway," she continued. "You've been waiting for Shikamaru."

"So? He went on an S-ranked mission, of _course_ I should be concerned." Ino spat at her.

"Don't lie to me, I _know_ you love him!"

"Of course I do. He's like my brother."

"Not like that."

"You think I'm in love with Shikamaru?" She exclaimed.

"Yes!"

"For all I know, _you're_ probably in love with _Naruto!_"

"And I-" she calmed down. " I think I am." Sakura stated quieter.

"Really?" She asked with her eyes large for a second.

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure of it."

"To tell you the truth, I think I _am_ in love with Shikamaru." Ino putting a hand in front of her mouth not realizing what she had just said.

"Well at least we both moved on." Sakura smiled and stood up. "I promised Naruto I'd treat him to ramen, bye Ino."

"Bye Sakura!" Ino called.

She replayed those eight words in her head. _'I think I _am_ in love with Shikamaru.' _She didn't know _why_ she felt that, or why it felt good to say it, but it felt right. Ino didn't know what it even was. Was it his dark hair, or his narrow brown eyes, or his lazy self? She couldn't answer it. He was her _best friend, _practically her _brother._ Her brain felt like she was insane, and her heart felt like it was perfectly fine—more than fine.

She didn't know what it was. Was it his looks, or his attitude, or even how he'd always protect her? His appearance wasn't much, but it was something to look at. His personality was ultra lazy and although he was usually crabby, he was nice. His concern, maybe that was it. He'd protect everyone and make sure they were all safe. Like when they were on a mission to avenge Asuma, he wouldn't let Ino attack or do anything, all he said was '_It's too risky._' And she obeyed by doing nothing.

Ino stood up to walk away and clear her head, but took one last look out of the gates just to satisfy herself in thinking that he wasn't there. She peered through the tree that she could see and saw a silhouette of a tall pineapple-headed figure. All Ino could think was '_Shikamaru!'_ And there he was, his hands were in his pockets, but instead of an irritated expression, he had a smile on his face.

"Shikamaru!" Ino called running up to him with a very happy face. "You're back! And alive!"

"The mission wasn't that hard. What are you doing here anyway?" He asked raising a brow.

"Waiting for you!" She thought about hugging him for a minute, then decided not to. "I was worried."

"You shouldn't you troublesome woman." He responded.

"Shikamaru… I love you." Ino admitted sheepishly not looking into his eyes.

He was quiet for a second then hugged her putting his arms around her waist. "I love you too." he said catching the blonde off guard.

"You do?" Her eyes grew large. He nodded to her and leaned his head down to kiss her. Ino kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck. And now, she knew why. It was all of the aspects of Shikamaru that made her love him, and she was perfectly fine with it. Being in his arms felt absolutely right, and her lips on his felt like a dream. It was as simple as that. Yamanaka Ino loved Nara Shikamaru and Nara Shikamaru loved Yamanaka Ino.

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**I've been wanting to make a ShikaIno story for a while now, but I couldn't get an idea, so here it is ^^ What'dya think? Was it too OOC? I think so. ****The ending was gonna be different, but I thought this was an appropriate ending. XD Yeah, I still like SasuIno, but I just wanted a taste of making a ShikaIno story. Oh, and this is anti-SasuSaku just so you know. :3 **

**Please drop a review and vote in my poll :D  
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